She’s Fast, but Is She a Woman?

Posted on Aug 19, 2009

South Africa’s 18-year-old Caster Semenya, the new 800-meter world champion, is so fast the International Association of Athletics Federations has dispatched an endocrinologist, a gynecologist, an internist, a genderist (?) and a psychologist to determine whether she’s actually female.

That has to be an awkward conversation. And how is this development supposed to make women feel?

A spokesman said, “The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure.” How complex can it possibly be? —PS

BBC:

“In the case of this athlete, following her breakthrough in the African junior championships, the rumours, the gossip was starting to build up,” said Davies.

“The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure. The situation today is that we do not have any conclusive evidence that she should not be allowed to run.”

A group of doctors, including an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist, have started the testing procedure but it is uncertain when the results will be known.